Curiosity Killed the Cat, Kai
by BattleStations
Summary: Unintentionally Kai gets pulled into the fight against the Empire.Shes not even a rider, but hey shes got a dragon that wont leave her alone.Between keeping her emotions in check and picking sides, whos got time for a war? Fixed.
1. Kai

She had been trailing them for days. Hiding in trees and keeping her distance, she had managed to stay behind them their whole trip, and not once did a single one of the traveling Urgals look back at the girl behind them. She would admit that at times she would be careless in her actions, traveling out in the open and such. She had walked behind the last urgal in the orderly lines, but she found amusement in their lack of awareness. Their survival instincts baffled her.

She had been counting, and it was their fourth day of walking. To where? She had no idea. Their group was coming up upon a forest north of the Edda River by the time the Urgals grew slightly aware of an anomaly; she realized they'd traveled across the country before the Urgals became even slightly aware of a tag along. The day before, she had guessed that they were heading for Ceris, an average sized village known for good and fair trading of furs and the occasional trinket. But earlier that morning, the Urgals leading the large group changed direction abruptly heading towards the other edge of the forest, away from the city of Ceris. They had a different destination, and she was curious to find out what.

Gazing out at the empty patch of desert-like grassland the Urgals had planned to cross, she narrowed her gold-ish green eyes as she noticed the lack of cover in the open flat piece of parched land. There would be some difficulties with her trip after all.

For the first time in her pointless travels, she would have to separate with the Urgals because she didn't want to run the risk of being caught out in the open, even if the likely hood of being seen was very slim, she wouldn't take the chance. She wasn't stupid.

After the large groups of Urgals had headed out into the grasslands and were facing away from her, she swiftly made her way toward the river. If she was fast enough and pushed herself enough, she could make it to the tree line across the flatland before the Urgals and meet up with them on the edge of the forest. With the thoughts, she ran along the Az Ragni River until it flowed toward Hedarth, another modest village. The simple task took much of her time to complete; the sun had set and rose again before she met the turn of the river. She knew as she made the trip, any ordinary person would have no chance making the small trip in the time span she gave herself, but she was far from ordinary. Sleepless and empty of food, she still ran swiftly and low undetected by anyone passing by.

The dimming light illuminated the field she needed to cross to make it to the outskirt of the forest. Gazing into the warm colors, a sighting of the pack of Urgals eluded her. She would have to search again once she crossed the tall expanse of dry grass. The sun was half gone as she crouched between the trees; she peered out again hoping to spot the group. No such luck. She cursed.

Furrowing her light eyebrows in distaste, she put down her brown shoulder pack and scanned the rustic fields for the long line of urgals again unwilling to give up. She looked for a patch of black on the yellowed horizon, anything to show her she made it before them. Remembering the tall grass, she quickly pulled herself up among the thick branches and scaled the tree to its top most leaves and tried again in her search of her previous traveling party. At her new height, a flickering line of life made its way far off to the right of her position. As relief filled her senses she realized how tired she'd become from her swift trip along the river. Her adrenaline had been spent; she concluded slipping back down to the lower branches.

Estimating their time of arrival to the edge of trees the young girl let down her glimmering silver hair and prepared for an extremely needed nap. Fatigue instantly pushed her into unconsciousness, and unwillingly, she slipped into a deep sleep.

The most deafening sound she remembered ever hearing echoed through her head. Her acute hearing abilities made her head spin and she almost fell from the tree she fell asleep in. With blurry vision she slipped from the tree to the ground. Looking up she yet again cursed as the dark sky filled her view, she'd over slept. Her pack had passed and gone by then. Almost as well as she could see during the day she made her way back into the trees to look for her fallen pack. Without the sun she had no reference of how long she had overslept, she had no idea how far ahead the Urgals were.

Pulling the bag over her head to sit on her left hip again, she rubbed the newly formed bruise on her right hip where she fell asleep on her sword. Jolting her from her thoughts, another similar sound rang through the forest causing the sleeping birds to flee from their nests in the dark. Snapping her head in the direction of the rumbling noise her memory broke through her daze and she recognized the sound as the exact thing to wake her. She took off in the direction of the noise, not a doubt occurred to her that she wouldn't find the pack of Urgals at the source of the rumbling noise. Urgals had the tendency to start havoc wherever they arrived. She was convinced her pack of Urgals would be where the numbing noise was originating from, and also be the cause of it as well.

Fully awake and with sharp senses alert, she still couldn't pin the body shaking noise. What did it come from? She couldn't remember hearing it before, and if she didn't hurry, she might never find out what the noise belonged to. With the thought her pace increasingly quickened, her form blurred as she dodged through trees. And in her hurry, she took to traveling in the trees as they got in her way. Her curiosity had always been a force she could not tame. It had urged her to follow the mysterious line of Urgals, and now it was pushing her to find the source of the mind numbing noise.

Jumping from one tree to the other at a break neck speed, she managed one final leap and looped her arm around the trunk of the tree she found herself in. She crouched low to the branch gazing through the leaves at the scene. Her body tensed and her free hand found her sword out of instinct.

Complete chaos. The putrid smell of death wafted her nose dulling her advanced senses to nearly useless tools. The same Urgals she'd been following laid in pools of darkly colored blood, the clash of battle and the cries of death still filled the air. It was all too familiar. A flash of white diverted her gaze from the mass of Urgals attacking at a small point. She nearly fell from her tree in surprise. Tightening her grip on the bark; she never lifted her eyes from what she saw.

The most magnificent beast plowed through the air swooping down and knocking back the cluster of urgals to reveal a tall boy in his late teens panting heavily and holding a long sword tightly in his hand. Her odd eyes swept his form taking in his appearance in interest. Minor scrapes adorned his bare forearms and a few took home on his face. His hair was dull in the lack of light, he looked completely human. She watched wondering how he was able to see. Humans were blind in the dark, yet he was managing to avoid a fatal blow with only the stars to brighten the battle field. Looking back to the beast she couldn't believe what she saw was real. Only one dragon existed and only one rider, but if that was true, who then hell were they?

Again her body vibrated with the deep mind bending noise. She then realized it was the dragons roar making her whole body shake with vibrations. She watched the dragon's long snout curled into a growl; it revealed long fangs gleaming with fresh Urgal blood. Then, amazed, she watched it spit an extended stream of fire out onto the group of urgals now pushed away from the boy. The flow of flame was brightly white, and the entire field was illuminated as if it were daytime. She watched the Rider take the opportunity to disarm and kill the gathered Urgals near him.

The clearing fell dim again as the stream cut from the dragon's mouth. The burning bodies still allowed more light aiding the disadvantaged Rider.

From the tree she observed the boy's movements slow and his energy drop as more and more Urgals filled the places of the fallen. He was gifted with his sword, but his stamina was near non existent, he was tiring, and fast. No more then a hundred Urgals had made the trip, but in their disorganized battle their numbers looked much larger then when they were in their straight and neat lines. And still a quarter of their group burned around the field acting as lanterns for the Rider.

Almost in slow motion the tall boy fell clutching his abdomen, his luck had ran out. She watched him fall to his knees, and the Urgals jumped at his moment of defenselessness. She knew she could make it to the Rider before the dragon, and she leaped from her tree and dashed off toward the battle without second guessing why she wanted to help in the first place. Her speed left her invisible the eye; the Urgals were blind to her movements and location. She easily slipped between their burning and panting bodies reaching the Rider before them with almost ease. Her sleep had done her body good. She never questioned her actions; it seemed natural to help him. Skidding to a stop in front of the boy and finally reappearing to view she caught three short urgal made swords on her long shimmering white and silver sword. The contrast in weaponry was blinding, their appearance combating in their own battle. Dark eyes widened in surprise and anger, her own glared in determination.

She may have been fast but she was hardly as strong in comparison. Unable to hold the Urgals weights much longer, she kicked her foot up a caught an Urgal under the chin, a loud _crack_ resonated through the gathered shocked silence and the receiver of her kick fell dead with a broken neck. At times her ability to kill efficiently even surprised herself.

Twisting the other two swords toward the ground she kicked another in the side of his head and he fell like the other. With her sword free she pulled the metal object through the third and he fell to the ground neatly in half.

More Urgals quickly filled their places but she continued to kill them as the boy deliriously watched through his blurry blue eyes. The familiar vibration waved through her body and twisted through the air again. Surprised, half of the Urgals confronting her liquefied under the intense heat of the dragon's white flame.

Never leaving the boy and not missing a beat, she leaped up and caught another Urgal in the cheek with her foot while stabbing another through its armor. Her long light hair fell over her shoulder in its ponytail as she swung around slicing through two at the same time. Six more fell at her sword before a final stream of boiling flames took out the remaining. She stayed weary not wishing to meet the Urgals same fate by the dragon.

Panting slightly she flicked her sword and watched the dry ground soak up more of the blood that had spilt that night. Sheathing her newly cleaned sword she turned to the boy clutching his stomach in painful desperation. His eyes were dilated trying to see in the dark.

"Ah… thanks." He said through clenched teeth. He looked up at her as she approached and squatted in front of him. Recognizing the dazed look in his eyes she grabbed his chin and turned his face from one side to the other looking for the head wound. He had a concussion. A deep growl again pulsed through her body with less intensity; hot air blew through her hair pushing her loose bangs into her eyes. Turning her head with the boys face still in her hands she looked at the giant beast not six inches from her own face. It was an intimidating beast, capable of tearing her in half before she could move. Its mouth was in a snarl protesting the contact she had made with the young man.

"Hello" she greeted casually turning back to the boy. The dragon could never even hope to stop her from helping the man, why she had to she had no idea. Such things came just as naturally. She continued on with her inspection not understanding a single thing pushing her to help the Rider. The hot breath still pushed her hair forward but she didn't feel another growl. Looking at the boy's left side he had a sizably large bump hidden under his shaggy brown hair. Blood was matted in his thick hair. "You have a concussion." She told him. She observed the bump before meeting his eyes, his face was held gently in her hands. She wanted to see the recognition she hoped for in his eyes, hoping he wasn't falling into the darkness yet. Despite his situation and delirious state, he still blushed noticing how close she was to him. He was awake. His reaction was good enough, she guessed.

"Who are you?" he asked still blushing. And his blood flow seemed completely unharmed by the appearance of his blush, she concluded.

"Kai" she simply said letting go of his face and looking down at the bag still hanging at her side. His face fell without the support. Pulling out a water skin she put it in his free hand and then continued to dig as he gratefully drank the water. The water alone would help him considerably.

With more searching she produced a tangled wad of flexible material strips. Looking to his wound across his abdomen, she tugged a large amount of the material from the ball and, producing a dagger from seemingly no where, she cut the roll. Looking back up at his face she told him to lie down.

He looked at her curiously, not comprehending most of what she said. Sighing she pushed his shoulder down and removed his hand from holding his stomach. She pulled up his shirt frowning at the wound. The dragon made an amused sounding grunt as the boy blushed again. She, of course, could only guess the sound was of amusement. She knew little of dragons, especially what sound meant what.

"I'm Silko" he told her trying to take his mind off his painful wound. His stomach was tender with throbbing pain; it was difficult for him to ignore it.

"Try not to fall asleep." she told him in the same even tone. He snapped his eyes open from his doze.

"Why?" he asked abruptly stopping himself from sitting up as his wound was painfully probed by her hand.

"You might not wake up." Her words scared him; even if he tried he wouldn't be able to fall asleep for a while. Silko felt tugging at his abdomen and saw that Kai had wrapped his wound and he wasn't bleeding anymore. He didn't even remember her finishing. His stomach was only numb, she had rubbed something into the wound, and for it he felt grateful.

"Thanks" he said sitting up by himself and holding his wound as the bindings tightened. She shrugged nonchalantly and gazed out towards the forest quickly as something caught her attention. Standing she took a closer more inspective look but she didn't seem to find whatever it was because she turned back to Silko to help him as he struggled to stand. It could still have been nothing.

"This is awkward…" Silko mumbled as her odd greenish eyes found his best friend. He didn't even know who she was and she already knew his biggest secret, he didn't know if he could trust her. But she'd saved his life hadn't she? He rationalized.

Like someone had called his name, Silko looked toward the dragon adopting a far off look in his eye. Slowly, both dragon and boys stares strayed toward the forest as well. Kai silently worried wondering if he would pass out. But his eyes cleared and he stared out into the trees like she had previously had.

He could trust her if Suoh could. Besides they had problems.

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	2. Only Lost Half a Mind

Silko stood defensively ready to pull his sword, the sensation running through his abdomen was new and he wobbled with his balance trying to adapt to the new lack of feeling. He glanced to Kai to see her completely at ease starring into the dark trees where Suoh said a dark presence was lurking in the trees watching them; his friend said that "clouded eyes flashed in the moon light". Silko wondered how she could seem so careless when he was convinced she was just as aware of the thing in the trees as his friend had.

To both dragon and boys surprise Kai whistled into the dark, a long low whistle towards the presences form. So she did know something was out there. Silko barely jumped at the sudden piecing noise and his hand flew to his hilt but he didn't draw the weapon. He thought there might have been danger. Silko could hardly hear her whistle but it held long, a flash of white made him glance towards Suoh. The great dragon was desperately trying to cover its ears using the ground and its clawed paws. Quickly Silko bolted towards his companion and stretching as far as he could, he cover the protruding ears on the dragons head, he ended up practically sitting on the beast's snout. The thoughts of pain streaked through Silko's mind distracted him from Kai's movements.

Silko's ears twitched as he heard the scampering sounds of something fleeing over the wordless groans of discomfort.

"What was that?" Silko yelled, Kai's green eyes flashed at him and he instantly quieted.

"Someone's coming…" she said quietly and slowly. "They sent some kind of beast to scout." She ended taking cautious steps towards a group of trees out in the dry grass away from the forest. Suoh urged Silko to follow her to the trees for cover. Nodding Silko took the same cautious steps to the trees as Suoh took flight and quickly disappeared from view, the dragon was much to large to be able to hide from view in the patch of trees.

At Kai's curious look he told her Suoh was circling above. For its size, the dragon was successfully quiet in its movements. Kai crouched behind a tree and closed her eyes. To Silko it looked like she fell asleep against the tree.

She could hear them coming, their movements were too irregular to be people from the same race, or perhaps just too unorganized to work together. Some steps were lighter then others and most strides were longer then one, there was only eight or so. The quiet steps split up and all seemed to face in their direction. She counted seven now that they weren't grouped together, the short strides and heavily footed figure Kai guessed to be a dwarf, that or a very heavy being of similar stature.

Her eyes snapped open as she heard the sound of wood bending back against its will, **_archers_** she thought quickly standing and turning towards the space the arrows would be coming from. "Don't mo-" Silko was pierced with and arrow. All she could do was watch from the other side of the clearing they were in, his wide eyes starred into her own, then he slumped over, dead.

The deathly quiet night was thundered with the painfully cries of a monstrous beast. High over the trees, the dragons cry echoed in all directions. The sound was much worse then anything it had ever produced before. The earth shook as the heavy dragons body slammed into the ground on the other side of her patch of trees. At the first piecing cry hundreds of arrows flew into the trees and all she could do was dodge as she made her way to the dragon, Kai launched herself into the trees and with a powerful leap twisted over the tree tops and slid across the dry grass to the dragon, the arrows still spinning through the trees behind her.

Four (and counting) arrows were sticking out of the dragons hide as it pitifully slammed its head on the ground, its white head was smeared with dirt from dragging it across the ground, and its body lurched in all directions in invisible pain. What caused the dragon so much pain? It seemed the dragon didn't even notice the arrows embedded in between its frosted scales.

Whipping around she quickly caught an arrow aimed for her head. Who were these people, she knew there was only seven but the amount of arrows was too great for seven beings to send in her direction. With a spin she caught three more and flung them into the trees towards the attackers, two dead thumps barely caught her ears over the roars of the dragon, they could send multiple arrows her way but couldn't dodge one thrown by hand? With all of her experience she couldn't even come up with a single believable explanation for what was happening.

Silko was dead, this dragon was going insane, and she was being shot at, not what she called the best of nights. There was nothing Kai could do for the dragon, but she could stop the arrows.

For what seemed like the hundredth time that night Kai push her limits and faded from view as she ran into the forest headed toward the people trying to kill her.

She came up behind the first and never slowed as she leaped up towards the tree and kicked the human man out of the tree. When she landed she kicked him across the face and he flew into another tree, a loud crack echoed through the trees as his neck broke on contact. Typical, the humans were so different none sounded remotely the same from a distance.

It was an illusion! Kai realized noticing the large diminish in arrows flying through the air, the man wasn't sending off dozens when she saw him. Kai never really like this magic, and look what it did. She over estimated her attackers now that she knew their cheep trick. Firing one arrow and willing it to look like dozens.

She took out all seven; it seemed it was only a really fat short man with the magic wielding humans. Something still didn't seem right as she stood still in the dark, the dragon's cries still filling the air. **_So there _was_ eight_** Kai thought as she heard his quiet breathing. His unearthly quietness made her body rigid and uneasy.

She didn't get it… if the empire was after the dragon and rider to join, why would they kill the rider? And if it really was the empire, why would they use those weak humans as back up? And if killing them was the objective, again, why a handful of weak humans?

"We want you, dear." a silky voice range throughout over the dragons cries. It was coming from the eighth figure. Without moving Kai glanced towards the figure, even in the dark his red eyes were distinguishable; his blood red hair reflecting off the small amount of moon light fighting its way through the tree tops, was that a shade?

"Why?" she asked simply, her hand always resting on her faithful weapon.

"Why not?" then he disappeared. It was a test; she knew as soon as he faded away. He wanted to see what she could do, to see her limits, her strategy. And she had given him most of it. She cursed into the dark and made her way towards the piercing cries of the dragon.

It was bound to happen; Kai avoided them as long as she had. **_Nothing ever lasts_** she thought. The Empire had caught up with her.

-

People must have been afraid to investigate the noise. It was the third day Kai had sat there watching the flailing dragon, it didn't seem to tier as quickly as she had hoped, and it wouldn't feel right to leave the dragon in such a state. She would just have to wait.

Sitting in the dry grass under the beating sun Kai glanced at the same patch of trees singled out in the field, she had buried Silko there the following morning of his death. She was the only attendant. He died too young in her opinion, from what she gathered, riders lived until they were killed, age never brought them down. Silko could have been the one to take down the king. But she didn't care, Kai didn't include herself as a person of Alagaesia, she followed her own rules and always avoided the empire, but that didn't seem to get her anywhere as she then knew the empire was after her, for what though?

Sighing Kai turned her gaze to the groaning beast, it had stopped roaring only hours earlier. It only confused Kai when she thought about the dragon and its behavior, why was it in so much pain? Morning a death would seem to look less painful. On the first night it looked as if someone was poking the beast's brain. Confusing was the perfect word.

With a long low grumble the massive dragon passed out. For the first time in days it was a peaceful quiet as Kai slumped onto her back in the tall grass.

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	3. Attached

It wasn't safe to stay in one spot for so long, but what could she do? That dragon weighed more then a village full of people, and there was no way she was going to leave the dragon in the state it was in, it'd been past out for five days.

---

The dragon woke up days later, it still wasn't in the best shape but it wasn't thrashing around and roaring in pain. More then a few times Kai had to refill her water skin more than ten times a day. The dragon seemed to be depressed, did beasts become depressed? Either way she didn't want it to die. There was only so much she could do for it. She gave it water and fed it whatever she could catch and carry. Its big silver eyes seemed empty as it stared at the patch of trees Kai had buried Silko in. though still, there was an intelligence in its eyes she'd never seen in another animals eyes.

Kai was beyond surprised that no one had discovered them sitting out in the open field, if they had she would have to had killed them, it was best if no one knew about the dragons whereabouts in its condition. And she wasn't up to killing innocent bystanders.

"I know you can move." Kai told the beast one day, they had been there almost a full month. "Go hunt or something before you die." she told it as it seemed to glare at her. "What good is living if your only going to lie about and cry over something you can't change" she knew it didn't really cry, but she was just trying to get her point across. "Get up; this is in no way productive." She told it in her normal even voice starting to push its side urging the beast to move. She had know idea if it had understood her.

With a low growl the huge dragon stood on its gigantic clawed feet and slid Kai away from him with his tail in annoyance. Kai actually smiled, the dragon had to stare at her for a moment as she smiled at him. After a grunt from the animal he lifted his unused white wings, they seemed to stretch the width of their field. With a powerful beat, the dragons thinned form lifted off the ground and flew away to hunt in the dieing light of dawn. She really should have left then.

A few more weeks passed and Kai deemed it safe to leave the dragon to its self, "Don't let anyone catch you." She told the huge animal behind her as she kneeled in front of Silko's grave, she placed a hand on the stone she used to mark the grave then stood turning to the frosted dragon.

Kai nodded to the dragon then walked off, the light pat of the dragon's huge feet following her. She stopped and looked forward as the steps behind her stopped too. Slowly Kai turned to see the huge animal behind her still with its large silver eyes on her and its head low, close to her form.

"No" she simply said to it. "You can't come with me, I can't do the things I do with a dragon as big as a house." The beast only grunted as smoke seeped out of its nostrils.

After a few days of walking the perimeter of the desert and the dragon still behind her, Kai stopped trying the obvious ways of ditching the beast, she stopped bolting from their site; the dragon just took off and followed her from the air. At one point she even tried to travel in the forest where the narrow passages between the trees wouldn't let the dragon follow her, or so she thought, the beast was more maneuverable then she thought.

A few more days into their trip she just stopped trying to leave the dragon altogether. The dragon was determined to stay with her, there wasn't much she could do to change its mind, and the fact that she didn't even know if it understood her. She really should have left when she had the chance.

**_Kai? _**The sudden voice in her head made her fall forward in surprise, unfortunately for her she was crouching on a cliff observing the small open area below.

"Ack!" she yelled out of character showing her surprise as she flipped over the edge. A large white frosted head peered over the edge to see the small girl hanging on the steep cliffside with her back against the flat racks and dirt, the only thing holding her up was her hand clutched to a protruding stone. Kai's eyes were still wide as she stared off into the clear sky in front of her.

**_Kai? _**The masculine voice asked again. The alien feeling was really freaking Kai out; she almost lost her hold on the rock when the same voice rang through her head again. After a dozen or so voice-in-head moments free Kai looked up at the large eyes watching her.

Swinging over Kai faced the cliffs surface then reached for another protruding object in the ruff incline. Kai kneeled in the dirt with her back to the cliffs edge and blankly stared at nothing at all.

_**Kai? **_

"Ack!" she yelled again hitting herself in the head. The dragon lowered its head to her face's level and seemed to stare at her like she was insane. Kai glared at the animal for the very interpretive look. Her eyes then widened as the truth hit her full force. In her shock she almost fell down the cliff again, luckily the dragon's long tail snaked behind her and kept her from falling down the somewhat death promising height.

"Stay out of my head." she said slowly to the beast still not fully sure that it was the dragon intruding in her head. Again the animal glared at her. Kai just glared back for lack of anything else to do.

**_There's no other way to communicate_** an annoyed voice broke her scattered thoughts. She continued to glare. The beast in front of her made a sound similar to a sigh. **_Accept it _**he said slowly **_I've decided that I will be your companion _**he finished with some difficulty at the thought of his best friend.

"Is that why you're following me around?" she asked out loud. The giant head nodded, Kai gave a huge sigh then looked to the landscape below them. "I was going to go to the town that's a little after those trees." She told him. "They'll have supplies that I need….. Do you…….need anything?" she asked awkwardly. She was new to the understanding that dragons were much more intelligent then anyone hade thought.

**_No_** was his reply, **_though I want to know what happened while I was…… not of use _**he said, it must be hard to think back and realize you were of no help.

"Well…" Kai started remembering back, "It was some kind of beast I've never seen nor heard of, it was watching us for a while. When I whistled it ran off, sorry for that." She added remembering what it did to the dragon as well. The great best just nodded for her to continue. "Then seven humans and a Shade arrived after we made it to the trees. The humans used an illusion to make their arrows appear as though hundreds of people were sending off arrows……. Silko….." she couldn't bring herself to say it to the dragon and let the beast just understand her silence. "You fell from the sky and all I could do was take-out the archers, so I did." She said looking at the blue sky during her whole explanation.

**_The Shade? _**The beast asked.

"He didn't do anything just watched me and told me they wanted me. I think the empire was after me on the second attack, not you and Silko."

**_Why you? _**The dragon asked interested in something to talk about to take its mind off Silko. To anyone else, Kai wouldn't even speak to them, but something about the dragon screamed trustworthy.

"I'm not……..normal." she said for lack of other words. She was definitely far from normal, but most people were, she wasn't even sure of what she was actually. Kai had no memory of a childhood; it was like she never had one.

Sighing Kai stood and pushed her silver hair behind her shoulder, again she looked out at the small lump of a town she planned to visit.

"I'm going to the town." She said to the dragon then stepped off the cliffs edge. The large white head of the dragon stretched out to peer down the cliffs steep edge just in time to see Kai land in a crouched position then take off towards the town at a fast run. No, she was not normal, the dragon did agree with her there.

In Kai's absence, the dragon deemed it a good time to hunt. It was a nice area they found themselves in, it was like no one was around and the dragon was free to roam about without being noticed in the least.

There was no telling how long it was to last, a girl being hunted by the empire traveling with a white dragon the size of a house that the empire thought was dead, they could never stay free to roam about longer then they had. There wasn't much they could do, what was to happen to them when their choices ran out?

"We don't have very many supplies miss, there's a war starting! Didn't you know?" an exhausted young man yelled at Kai as she stood in front of his small shop in the small town.

"Its only leagues away!" an older woman with the man said with wide eyes unable to believe this girl was so close to the huge battle and had no clue.

"Why are you wearing a hood?" a little boy asked jumping around. What was with this town and questions? But what was all this about a war? Wasn't there a war going on for years then? Maybe it was a battle.

Kai sighed; if it was a battle then she was missing it. She was always there to watch happenings like that begin. She guessed her month or so away from gossiping townspeople made her miss updates about Alagaesia, and now something large was about to happen. The world continues even if you don't want it to.

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	4. Suprise Suprise

It was near dawn when Kai made it up the cliff. The huge beast was no where in sight, though from what _he _had said, he would be back.

Kai dropped her bag near the edge of the cliff and started to prepare a fire just outside the tree line. The best she'd gotten from the town was her piece of flint. Kneeling she proceeded to burn her pile of sticks and dry grass.

An hour later, her fire was in full blaze and still perfect for cooking; Kai sat eating her stew on her thin blanket and watched as a light dot became a sizeable dragon, though it wasn't white…… She nearly choked.

Kai swept to her feet and watched the blazing dragon swoop off in the direction of Surda. With her eyes still focused on the dazzling red dragon Kai put out the fire with a pile of dirt using her foot then grabbed her bag and blanket and stuffed the cloth into her shoulder bag while sprinting through the trees at an inhuman speed. The wind whipped past her ears but she still heard the pounding thump of the large white dragon's wings behind her.

Glancing back Kai caught the view of the huge beast behind her; his large silver eyes seemed to be set on the red dragon she saw off in the distance. Kai caught his eye and his voice rang through her head uncomfortably.

**Get on, they wont be able to see us if we're above them.**

"Them?" Kai asked through her labored breathing, she was running pretty fast.

**There is also a rider, now get on.** He said forcefully as his body took a turn he was gliding next to the cliff she was running along. _Another_ one? Trying not to thing of the lethal spikes along his back Kai pushed off a boulder near the edge and clenched her legs around the dragon's body and wrapped her arms around his neck.

Kai felt her stew coming up into her throat as one powerful push of his wings shot them up into the air. She made a high pitched whining noise as they climbed higher and higher. Kai did not like flying. Finally he leveled out and Kai slowly raised her head from the smooth white scales and looked out. In front of them and down a few hundred feet were the red dragon and an armed rider.

"I don't like this." Kai said in a quiet voice as her gaze found the ground thousands of feet below.

**I will not let you fall. **The dragon's voice soothed. Looking back to the red dragon, Kai noticed that it was a large bit smaller then the dragon she was presently ridding on. Then looking straight ahead the wind deafened her ears but she still saw the huge battle field, a large ship was coming up the river. A shiny flash caught her eye, and she almost faltered the constant hold she had on the white dragon, she almost fell off. Her heart thumped uncomfortably at the scare. To her great surprise_ another_ dragon was participating in the fight, this one was blue from what she could tell through its battle armor. Kai mildly thought of the white dragon's bare form.

"Do you see that?" Kai asked the dragon under her with a dazed confusion.

**Yes** he replied in a grave voice. **A harsh battle wages. **He said wisely.

"No the other dragon." Kai said pointing with her whole arm. The large head looked back at her to see where she was pointing, Kai felt the dragon falter in his flying, Kai was grateful that they were the same color as the clouds around them.

Sorry this is sooo mega short, but I couldn't continue! I'm being _grounded!_ My mom's right behind me as we speek yelling at me for typing what she's doing, now she's laughing….. but says I'm still grounded, damn….. and she yelling again, maybe I shouldn't write that any more……. Augh……. But to get another chapter posted I need at least four reviews that's 4 people, not alot ok?

See you guys :sounds sad:

-BS


	5. Battle

They watched in silence as the red dragon met with the much larger blue dragon. Unnoticed Kai and her friend circled above completely camouflaged in the cloudy sky. The riders met in battle on a platform as their dragons ripped at each other. It was great and horrible at the same time, a huge battled waged around them and the air was thick with magic. Kai couldn't remember the last time she'd witnessed something so grand.

"Are we supposed to do something?" Kai asked. The silence felt like it was consuming them. She felt they had been circling for an eternity.

**What would we be able to do?** The white dragon asked her back in a mystified distracted voice.

"I'm not exactly sure; I don't even know who to side with…" Kai said as the white dragon she rode continued to make large slow circles below the clouds.

**That's the Varden and the empire at war.** The male voice drifted through her head. **They have finally started a full out war, no more sneaking behind the peoples backs, this is a future decisive battle we watch. **He said in a trance like voice. The dragon knew more of the war then Kai had originally thought.

"Have you chosen a side?" Kai asked softly as she witnessed the mass battle in the field and the fight between the two dragons and riders near by. She thought she could smell the blood, but they were too high.

**Silko had decided to find and join the Varden; I intend to fulfill his wishes. **His deep voice solemnly answered her.

"I'm not so sure now is the best time." Kai said observing the men slaughtering each other. Kai found she felt nothing for them, she had done the same thing for so many years she doubted she had all of the emotions she used to. Emotions drifted away when your life filled with such things like death and war.

**Is it not? Is not now the perfect time? I join their fight purely to help. What would they think if they knew I had drifted about above them while their war waged, they would find me suspicious that's what…. **He told her knowingly.He had thought of the war way more then she had thought.

"And when a foreign beast white as snow swoops in on the war, they have never seen this dragon, they don't know what to expect from him, what if they attack you….. I'll admit, you've grown on me." Kai said grudgingly. "I'd rather not see you get hurt."

**Then you may join me… if it will help I've just now broken through the shield protesting the Varden leaders mind. **He went silent for a few moments and Kai searched below, with her sharp eye sight she surveyed a dark woman falter in her fighting and guessed from her clothing and the ring of Varden around her that she was their leader. **She believes me an intruder of her mind trying to trick her, but is relaying the message to warn her people, even if I did intrude she says a dragons help would be nice.** He said with a chuckle like growl escaping his jaws.

"Then we're joining?" Kai asked watching the riders leave their saddles atop the dragons and fight each other as the beasts continued to snap at one another.

With a jolt the dragon dived straight for the ground in the middle of the battle waging over the field. Kai was crouched low near his white spikes as his wings snapped out and he glided quickly over the battle creating a cry of surprise and fear from the men below.

Skillfully the white beast created a long line of boiling white flame twist and turn through the men fighting below, he easily avoided any Varden, and the empires men were easy to locate as they all were dressed in red.

**I wish to see you unharmed at the end of this battle **Kai thought as the men's cries were too loud to be heard over. She then hopped up on his back and ran crouched low down the dragons back over the spikes and leapt off his pointed tail into the fight; after she left his form he shot up and began to take groups of the empires men in his jaws. Suoh was determined to make it clear who he fought for.

Kai landed next to a group of stunned men and quickly whipped her sword free of its sheath and ran it through a red clad soldier's leg cleanly removing it from his body, his shriek of pain and agony woke the other men of their stupor and they began fighting again. Kai noticed many stand weary of her, the Varden didn't know if she was on their side or not, and the empires soldiers didn't want to meat her sword. They would know soon enough.

Kai was in battle mode, she was swift accurate and pumped full of adrenalin. Kai was to be feared. Her movements were blurred to the surrounding men, in seconds she had moved through at least twenty red clothed men making it clear who she fought for.

Kai growled, she felt the magic around her, it pushed on her mind, but something held it back, it kept her safe from their threats. The feeling felt familiar, but she continued to focus on the fight, not investigating.

She didn't know how long she had been in the throng of men, the metallic sent of blood filled her nose and her limps were numb, but she never faltered, she was used to the strain, that's how she had survived as long as she had. Kai had fought through life.

Something new came to her in the battle, all through life she had fought for herself, but in the battle she found herself stretching to the right to clip a soldier aiming for a Varden soldier, pushing a little harder to save a man she had never met, and probably never would.

As quickly as she had joined the fight, it was ending; they were pushing back the empires soldiers...

_Review please._

-BS


	6. Awkward Greetings

It looked to Kai like every dwarf had joined the fight when their band met up with her in the battle, she barely gave them a glance, but she could feel their stares bore into her back as she swiftly maneuvered through the crazed confused crowd. She vanished leaving a line of mangled bodies and moved toward the slowly backing line of Empire soldiers.

The thick veil of smoke over the Burning Plains burned her throat and watered her eyes. Peat fires burned everywhere and the dead bodies caught up in them tainting the air with the stench of death. Everything was a blur of orange below the dark cloud over the plains.

Kai glanced up while she pulled her thin sword through a few men, the smoke cloud swirled as her friend swooped down again adding to the flames, she saw the few arrows sticking from his hide, shallow gashes patterned his legs and his mouth seemed to pour blood, his own and the soldiers he crushed in his jaws.

Kai realized that neither of them were armored in the least, all she had was her shirt and pants and thin cloth shoes, while her companion only his thick hide and durable scales.

**How are you holding up?** Kai thought to the beast as she used a mans shoulder to launch herself away from a burning peat fire.

**I do not fight for myself, I will last**. He replied in a huff as his angered thoughts lowly played in the background of his message. **I only fear what will happen to you at the end of this**. He thought softly then cut the connection as he dodged a horde of arrows, some piercing his thin wings.

Kai's falter at his words awarded her a thin scratch of a sharp sword across her cheek, she felt the hot blood mix with the dirt dusting her face and drag down her neck and soak into her dark shirt. With a glare she removed the mans head, his shocked expression of actually harming her forever stuck on his face.

"She is no demon!" A man yelled at the sight of her cut. "She bleeds!" his words brought something new to the group of men solely transfixed on her. The realization that she could be harmed brought on another rush of adrenalin in the surrounding men. Kai's golden green eyes flashed at the men that formed the circle around her, but before she could lash out at them a war cry echoed through the wails of death and a rampage of urgals, no _Kull_, broke through the men around her and continued on.

So the Varden had befriended the Urgals. She concluded standing back from their battle parade.

War clouded her mind as the fighting continued on and the Varden slowly over took the Empires soldiers. Kai finally ceased her onslaught of the empire and watched as the last of their soldiers hurried to regroup and attack later.

The fighters that had also stopped kept weary eyes on her; she could see the death they had seen in their eyes. Their haunted eyes stayed with her long after the battle. Their stare left her as her only real friend shook the ground with his crooked landing, the arrows planted in his sides moved with his muscles as he walked toward her. She watched as he folded his wings back and grew worried as the sight of the smoky plain could be seen through the numerous holes littering his leathery wings.

**They thought you a demon with the way you fight**. The dragon told her as he kept his head high. Kai sighed as she heard the humor through his tone; he must be fine if he could joke. **The** **Varden leader "desperately" wishes to meet with us**.

"As would be assumed." Kai said aloud, her muscles were still tense with the battle, her hearing picking up on every carnivorous bird circling the dead bodies below the thick smoke in the Burning Plains.

With the intimidating beast behind her Kai made her way toward the Varden's resting place unhindered. She assumed the massive walls and tent tops was the direction she would find the Varden's leader.

The battle weary men avoided them as they trudged through the death ridden field and around the hundreds of fires. Even through the suffocating smoke in the fields, the little light that made its way through glimmered and shinned off the blue scales of the other dragon, she guessed that was the dragon with the Varden, next to the beast was a very tired looking boy dressed in armor as well as the blue dragon, both displayed almost fatal wounds, though they stood strong. A man stood next to the tall boy, he had a thick beard and travel worn clothes splattered in blood. Kai doubted she looked too presentable; she avoided any other injury beside the cut on her cheek. Besides the thin trail down her face, she was just about drenched in the empires blood. She could feel the blood dry in her hair, over her hands and in her clothes; she tried not to show that it bothered her.

Across from the dragon she noticed two women, one was tall with dark black hair and an elf's face, the other was a little shorter with dark skin and an air of power about her, that, Kai guessed was the leader wishing to speak with them.

Her friend was a some bit larger them the blue dragon, his form still twitched with the arrows and his mouth dripped blood to add to the streams running down his side.

**You look better off then the other dragon**. Kai thought glancing back at him as he tried not to flinch with every step. **I promise to treat those as soon as possible**. She added not liking the state he was in.

The dark woman didn't really seem to know what to say, the rider looked shocked to see them approaching and the other two just stared, the remaining mans beard hiding his features. With some pressuring of her present company Kai addressed them herself.

"I am Kai, and this is…" **Suoh**. The dragon supplied to her. "Suoh." She said in her soft, emotionless voice. The others still seemed dazed. "Suoh wished to help your cause, and I joined him." She added.

"We appreciate your assistance." The dark woman said slowly… "How-" she cut herself off gaining a thoughtful look. "The only egg left is in the Kings possession." She said lamely, Kai kept her level gaze as the dark woman seemed to be talking to Suoh.

"I am Nasuada of the Varden." She formally introduced herself. "This is Eragon and Saphira. Arya, our elf ambassador and Rowan, Eragon's...cousin." She said with a nod from the tall boy next to the dragon, his features close up were very smooth and elf like.

Kai fluidly bowed to them all and Suoh nodded his head.

"Three in the same day…" Kai glanced to the man that just arrived, he was tall and his once nice clothes were worn and dirty, his eyes were transfixed onto Suoh and there were small glances towards Saphira.

"I believe we all should deal with these issues in the morning, right now we all should rest…….." Nasuada suggested in a way that meant she was suggesting nothing; it was more of an order.

"I'll show you to a tent." Eragon put in quickly after a sharp look from Nasuada.

"Thanks." Kai said slowly looking to Nasuada oddly then taking cautious steps toward Eragon with Suoh moving in jerked motions behind her. The big white head lowered near her head as they walked silently behind the armored rider and his dragon. It was obvious they were speaking to each other about Kai and Suoh. Kai caught every glance shot back towards them.

**What do you think their saying?** Kai asked Suoh as she kept a hand on his huge head as her form of support. **There's no doubt they don't trust us…..**

Suoh never really answered he only grunted and snorted a puff of smoke to add to the constant smog around them. He was in more pain then he would say.

Kai guessed that Eragon didn't know where he was going. They had been wandering for twenty minutes before someone from the Varden lead Eragon to a tent then her and Suoh to one directly next to it, yeah, they were positive they weren't trusted. They got the tent right next to their Rider.

Kai ignored the tent and physically pushed the huge white beast to the ground next to it and examined his wounds. She felt and heard him growl as she tenderly touched the arrows and observed his muscles contract on contact.

Kai was humming trying to sooth the beast as she gently wrapped her fingers around an arrow. Suoh knew what she was about to do and his growl deepened but he didn't move and clenched his jaws anticipating the pain.

The ground around her rumbled from Suoh's held in growl of pain. She held an upset scowl as she pushed her hands over the flow of blood.

"I don't like magic." she told Suoh in a soft voice. His growl was dissipating as his wound chilled under her hand. "But I'll do this for you." It bothered her how she had become so fond of the dragon over such a short time, well to her it was short time span.

Suoh roughly hummed as his last arrow wound disappeared under Kais cold hands. She pulled her hand away and watched the dragon's last scales weave back together, then with distaste snapped the urgal arrow in her fist.

"Let me see your wings." Kai said blankly as she felt Eragon and Saphira watching her. Suoh delicately stretched his wing avoiding the surrounding tents and Kai quickly pulled her hands over the thin skin, the wounds weren't as sever so it didn't take much to heal.

"Be thankful I can do this much." Kai told the healed beast pushing her nose onto his large chiseled snout.

**I am grateful**. His deep voice said in her head and he hummed causing pressure to rattle Kais shoulders, she smiled, stroked the beast's cheek then slipped into her tent.

_Review please._

-BS


	7. Dreary Morning

Kai's hands smarted from healing Suoh as she lay on the provided bed; she could see the tent wall move in the dull breeze and heard Eragon and his cousin talking in the tent next to hers. From the brief things she caught she learned about Eragon's trip into becoming a Rider, very fascinating story.

Suoh was already out in a light sleep. She could tell he was still aware of his surroundings but resting his aching body as well, almost just what she was doing.

The next tents conversation turned to the bearded mans girlfriend, Kai tuned out and focused on recent events, she might had well while she had the time.

**I've been pulled into a war… today I saw three dragons when not months ago I only believed that there was one left. I'm covered in dry blood and its pulling my hair**. At the thought she scratched her head trying to relieve the pulling, dry brown clumps fell out. Disgusted she swung her legs over the edge of the bed and pulled her hair loose from its tie.

Kai roughly scrubbed her scalp and shook her head free of the blood. Bringing her hairs tips to her face she observed the red tint to her once silver hair, then her thoughts went to her hair. How did she get silver hair? Wasn't she too young for that? But it wasn't the color seen on old heads; it was actually silver, just like Suoh's eyes.

Bored she tossed her hair back and tied it up again pushing her bangs out of her eyes. She had nothing with her, when they left she dropped everything she grabbed when she got on Suoh. All she had was her bloodied sword and trusted dagger.

A few hours later when she was cleaning her sword a male's voice outside her tent called for her softly, so not to not disturb Suoh, though she knew he was already awake.

"You can come in." Kai answered blankly and looking up as the tent flap moved back. Two men entered, one was the Rider, Eragon, and the other was the man who goggled at Suoh, he was the one who called for her. "Can I help you?" she asked sheathing her cleaned sword.

The tent wasn't very big so they stood crouched over until she offered them seats on folded stools in the corner.

"You don't remember me." The man stated, the Rider looked at him oddly, he probably didn't know what the man came to talk to Kai about.

"Should I?" she asked curiously and giving him her full attention. Kai ha met many people during her life.

"Last we met I was much younger…. Yet you look exactly the same." He puzzled. He watched her oddly as the Rider held in his questions and Kai leaned forward on her "bed" to study the man's face.

"You're older." She finally said softly. She recalled his face, though then it was less ridden with worry and wrinkles. "Now I know why you're here, but you? What troubles you?" Kai said to Eragon. The man looked surprised for her to easily drop their realization.

Eragon was silent for a while starring into her odd eyes then he finally said "I have questions of my own."

"You need rest." Kai told him firmly, she was surprised to see him even walking. "You need to regain your strength, and your Lady said we would discuss matters in the morning." She added furrowing her eyebrows; it confused her why he was there.

Eragon sighed seeing the truth in her words, but that was the first thing that came to mind when she asked him why he was there, in truth he just wanted to see her up close, another Rider, two in one day for him actually. He really did have questions but they could wait till that morning.

"I see." Kai said as he made no move to leave, then she turned her attention to the tall man in front of her.

"We always knew you were different, from the way you fight, how you travel. Just I never expected_ this_." The man spoke in an amazed voice.

"Yes I surprise myself sometimes." Kai said slowly, she wasn't following him very well; all she knew was that he deeply resembled a young man she had met in a city near the sea. She had accompanied him and his hook nosed friend in retrieving a dragon egg for the Varden, she remembered it clearly because it had been of the few things she had done to help along the rebellion.

"Wow." The man breathed. His eye caught Eragon looking puzzled and he quickly looked from Eragon to Kai happily. "You should really thank her Eragon, without her we would have never rescued Saphira." He said cheerfully.

"You-?" Eragon cut himself off and nearly drowned in his own thoughts. If he remembered correctly, it was years ago when Brom and Jeod retrieved Saphira's egg. How old was this girl? She barely looked as old as him.

**You're disturbing my sleep**. Suoh's sleep ridden voice cut across her mind and she lightly laughed catching Eragon's attention.

"For Suoh's sake, I believe we all should rest, especially you." She said to Eragon. "I wonder how you can even sit up." Kai said standing as they left. As Eragon shuffled to his tent on the other side Kai saw the blue dragons head resting on the ground, Kai lightly nodded in greeting to the beast and she received a soothing hum in response. Kai then pulled herself back into her tent and settled for a real rest, a deep sleep called her and she went willingly.

Kai ignored the thousands of footsteps disturbing her sleep, she just wanted to recuperate, and then she would think about getting out of her warm cot. Even in her less then half awake state she could tell there was a large bit of distance between the awake and moving Varden soldiers and her tent with the huge slumbering White Dragon.

About two feet away from her tent wall she could hear the soft deep breaths of Eragon the Rider and supposed Shade slayer, then on the other side of his the blue dragons deep breaths resembling Suoh's, Kai remembered the dragons name being Saphira.

Rolling over to face the wall of her tent she pushed away her thoughts and ignored the morning noises and slipped into a light sleep. Her joints weren't bothering her anymore; given enough time any injury on her would disappear without a scare, it'd always been that way so she saw nothing different about it.

Later that morning Kai was awoken as Suoh silently rose from the ground and she saw his shadow stretch, he arched his back like a cat and stretched his tail and neck out then curled his long tail back towards his body and brushed the tent with his wing to rouse her out of her cot.

**The Rider is waking and the Varden leader is wishing to start her meeting soon**. Suoh's masculine voice flitted across her morning weary mind.

**I'm up**. She thought slowly and swung her legs out of the cot and placed her feet on the ground and sat on the cot still slightly under the warm covers, it had been a while since she had a bed-resembling place to sleep. Like Suoh had said she heard the Rider rise from his cot and heard the blue dragons yawn and felt the earth move slightly as she rose from the ground. Kai found it odd that while Suoh was larger he accomplished to move silently when he needed to, but she just figured that the other dragon didn't find it necessary to be silent on a camp full of allies.

Kai eyed her black shirt draped across a small stool; it was dried with blood, but other wise in good shape. Standing she lifted the shirt and shook it and observed clumps of blood falling off the stiff shirt. Kai scowled and crumpled it hopping to remover more of the brown clumps.

Her clothes being black, Kai was the only one to know that they were filthy and had blood dried in between its small fibers. Leaving the tent she gazed at Suoh and smiled at him noticing the dried blood all over him as well, they needed a bath very badly.

"Morning Suoh." Kai told him placing her hand on his snout; he nuzzled her cheek with his nose.

**Dreary morning**. He replied. **I was told where we are to meet with their leader**. He added standing from his sitting position. Turning Kai saw Eragon healing some of Saphira's wounds, they both were covered in the dry blood as well but she felt their energy had returned to them. Catching the blue eyes of the dragon Kai smiled and greeted her then with a nudge from Suoh's snout she walked in their direction.

Kai glanced back at the White Dragon and he told her that was the direction they were to go in.

"Saphira says hello as well." Eragon said for Saphira. The boy had both hands over a deep wound that had closed during the night but was still causing her to bleed internally; he lightly sweated over the task and had complete concentration as he mumbled the necessary words. His breath barely deepened as the wound closed and Saphira was then only covered in dry blood and in no danger.

"Are you heading towards Nasuada's tent?" Eragon asked watching Kai look at Saphira.

"Yes we're going now." Kai responded looking over at Eragon. "Suoh would like to know if you would want to join us." She added.

Looking to Saphira then nodding Eragon agreed and they walked to the large tent.

Inside the ground was carpeted. In an elevated chair sat Nasuada with the elf Arya next to her and another woman was there, Kai could tell she had abilities in magic.

As Kai and Eragon entered the tent Saphira and Suoh had to settle with only poking their heads into the entrance as their bodies were too big for the tent.

Nasuada gave them a quick greeting then motioned for the guards to go outside and dismissed the other woman, the woman didn't look to happy to be dismissed and tried to protest saying that she might need her there, Nasuada said she had Eragon and ended her argument and the woman left glaring at the carpet and briefly at Kai. The two dragons moved from the tent again as the woman left. Kai could smell fear radiate off her from passing the dragons, it mixed with the guards as they had to stand next to the dragons.

"First I believe you should be subjected to having Eragon search your mind." Nasuada said, Kai stayed silent and starred levelly at Nasuada. "Then your dragon's as well." She added with little pause.

"I cannot speak for Suoh, but you should be asking if Eragon..." Kai said nodding to the Rider next to her. "…wishes to sort through the horrors of my long life." What she said obviously wasn't what Nasuada or anyone in the room was expecting. Kai watched as the elf thought over her words and Nasuada processed what she said. Eragon was at her side and she couldn't see his face.

"If it settles where your loyalties lie, I will." Eragon said in a stoic voice, he hid it well but Kai could tell her words had startled something in him. Searching her mind would answer the many questions Eragon had, but what could she had meant when she said the horrors of her life?

"I hold loyalty to very few." Kai said to them. "But I will not betray you." She said. "Suoh has agreed to a mind search." She added still looking at Nasuada.

"You both have agreed and Eragon has agreed to perform the process." The woman announced. Kai heard Eragon take a deep breath and he turned to her, he was at least six inches taller then her. Kai tilted her head back to stare him in the face.

Eragon's chocolate brown eyes met Kai's golden green and he raised his hand to her head, closing his eyes images of the girl in front of him played across his mind. Kai let him see everything; she closed her eyes and observed everything he saw.

It was a bright day and Kai was a young girl of seven or so looking from a tree line to a large flat plane covered in tall grass and yellow flowers, her large green eyes watched as a huge red dragon flew lowly over the plane and caused the trees and grass to pull towards it in its direction. Kai never remembered when that happened, but Eragon had pulled it from her mind so it must have happened.

Eragon passes thousands of memories **she always had silver hair** he noticed as he went through more until she was of an older age; it was like decades had passed.

She felt him gently pull at a certain memory; it was in a small town she was a lot older, looking around sixteen. She had the same sword she held then at her waist. She was crouched on the slanted roof of a building slowly sliding down the shingles trying to see into the ally below. At the edge she clung to the shingles trying to slow and stay on the roof. Leaning over she gazed down into the ally dozens of feet below her. Still slowly she slid down the angled roof; she was running out of room, below the stench of urgals rose, the memory of the smell drifted across Eragon and Kai's nose. In the memory she was barely still clinging to the roof, running out of room, she pushed off and landed silently on the roof across the ally.

A shrill screech echoed behind Kai in the memory and she ran low over the roofs toward the sound, more cries were following and yelling was echoing off the houses and building walls. Sliding off the roofs she fell into an ally to see the people of the town being slaughtered by the never ending line of urgals. Eragon watched as Kai in the memory glared at the urgals and pulled her sword free. She committed a massacre of the urgals. He pulled away from the memory as the sent of death reached his nose from the memory.

He found another of her approaching another town, the people were already dead there, she weaved through the streets and checked for life.

Eragon watched as she found a crying child, a little girl clutching her bleeding arm and crying for the dead woman next to her, slowly Kai approached the child and kneeled in front of her, with a sad face Kai reached for the frightened child and placed her hand over the girls arm and as the girl tried to move away the wound was already healed, she didn't say a word but the wound healed.

Kai just stood and left the child in the dead city.

Eragon finally found what he was looking for. She had parted with Brom and Jeod, her memory started after she retrieved the blue egg. Brom and Jeod had left and it was up to her to escape with the egg. He saw Kai launch off a red clad mans shoulder and clutch the edge of a tall stone wall with one hand as the other tightly held Saphira's egg. She pulled up the wall and fell the other side, her landing faltered and she landed on her butt. Tiredly she forced her self up and dodged through the town around the massive castle.

It was her, it was Kai that actually got the egg, Brom and Jeod had planned everything, but Kai had carried it out. She rescued Saphira.

Sifting through Kais feelings and random thoughts, Eragon pulled out with a new feeling towards Kai.

When Eragon opened his eyes Kai was looking up at him. His stomach churned uncomfortably as she watched him.

"Thank you." Eragon said lowly then stepped away when he realized how close he was to her.

"Well?" Nasuada pressed when Eragon stayed silent looking at the floor.

"She hid nothing, is not in anyway with The Empire and has aided the Varden before." He said still watching the floor. Kai observed as Nasuada glanced surprised at her for a moment.

"How?" The woman asked disbelieving.

"Kai was the one to retrieve Saphira's egg." Eragon said looking up at Nasuada and Arya. Nasuada audibly gasped and Arya stared hard at Kai with shocked eyes.

"What of Brom? Wasn't he the one to give us the egg?" Nasuada asked Kai directly. She wanted to hear it from Kai.

"The hook nosed man and his friend planned out how to get into the castle and figured out where the egg was held. After aiding your friend Brom in a fight, he took the risk of involving me in his plan. Both explained the plan and joined me as far as they could into the Kings castle and held off the people as long as they could. Eventually they couldn't keep it up and had to get out while they could, I was left to find my own means of escaping with the one egg I managed to get a hold of." Kai told them truthfully, and then she continued. "Brom understood my small existence and agreed to not mention me."

The room was silent and Kai felt the female dragon connecting to her mind.

**Thank you deeply Kai for leading me to Eragon and my destiny**. Her words were so heart filled that Kai turned to the dragons head and smiled.

"I would do it again if I had to." Kai told her then turned back to the others with a blank face again.

"Why show your self now? Why when you wished not to be known then?" Nasuada asked ignoring the words spoken to Saphira.

"The words of a Shade convinced me that it was time to choose a side, I only wished to stay unknown so I wouldn't be pulled into this war, but his words told me that I had failed. The Empire had found me, they have something planned for me and I wish to make it clear that I will not join them." Kai said.

"Arya, what do you have to say?" Nasuada asked.

The elf was silent for a while but met Kai's gaze.

"I believe your words." She said simply. "You have lived many years Kai, I understand." Kai nodded, the elf was old as well, she would understand how the past faded when you became so old, Kai didn't know how old she was anymore, such had faded with her childhood memories, with her family, if she ever had one.

"Are you elf?" Nasuada asked desperate to figure out the young woman. Kai didn't look like an elf, but her hair was an odd color along with her eyes, she had a subtle beauty about her. At first glance, even covered in blood, the girl was beautiful, but even around her beauty she could tell Kai was dangerous. Nasuada had seen how Kai fought; she moved nothing like an elf, her movements blurred as she traveled faster then her eyes could see. She could kill a man with a single kick to the head, her sword moved _through_ men. Nasuada had watched men fall in two pieces and Kai continue through the battle without slowing, she received only a single scratch, a _single scratch_. Her features were the only human resembling thing about her, elves were taller, hand pointed ears and long smoothed faces. She doubted she was elf at all.

"I couldn't tell you." Kai said truthfully.

"Where did you find a dragon egg not in the Empires possession?" Nasuada asked as it pushed on her mind and pulled out any other thoughts.

"I didn't." Kai answered simply.

"Then-"

"You should ask Suoh, maybe he would remember." Kai said, everyone looked confused but with a nod from Nasuada, Eragon moved to the white head poking through the tent flap.

_Review please._

-BS


	8. Forever Bound

Kai was curious, she didn't let it show but she wished she could get into that beasts head. She had no idea how he had come about, how he and Silko showed up in that field, how the urgals found them, truthfully she still didn't even know why she followed that band of urgals.

As she watched Eragon hold his hand near Suoh's head, she wondered why Eragon stayed away from recent events in her own mind. Didn't he want to know how she came about in their presence? He seemed more interested about her as a person, how she grew up and what she'd done. None of it was pretty.

Eragon's back was to her so she didn't get to see his shocked face as he watched a large long white rock be lifted out of a small creek by an older boy. He watched as the egg hatched for the boy, watched Suoh be names by him, fed by him, and cared for by him.

Kai was in no way Suoh's rider. That boy was. Eragon watched as Suoh quickly grew, watched the boy grow, he was about as old as Eragon maybe a year or two years older. Eragon didn't recognize any of the land features they passed over as a white dragon, a little smaller then present Saphira, flew with the brown haired blue eyed hansom boy.

Finally Eragon saw cities that resembled Alagaesia. Suoh himself pushed Eragon into a memory. The feeling was new; he slightly panicked at the alien mind pushing his own mind into a different memory.

They were at a small camp at the edge of a field that bordered the desert Eragon and Saphira had crossed. They had a small fire that was devoid of smoke. Both boy and dragon had grown, Suoh looked barely smaller then he presently was. The memory mustn't have been that old then.

With what seemed like no warning, urgals. They were everywhere; their quiet rest around the small fire was turned into a battle of one hundred urgals against Rider and Dragon.

Eragon watched along with the memory Suoh as the Rider was struck, urgal bodies were all around him but one had gotten him. Eragon felt the dragon's sorrow that came with the memory. A quick flash caught Eragon's eye and there stood Kai, she took a defensive stance before the boy and single handedly fought off the circle of urgals that had formed around the then young man.

The Rider clutched his stomach as Kai killed off the urgals with tireless force. Suoh's white flame incinerated the remaining urgals and Eragon felt shocked as he saw the battle field, a hundred urgals taken down so quickly, but the Rider, he was injured. Had he died?

Eragon watched through Suoh's eyes as Kai tended to the Rider, his name was Silko.

Silko's voice rang through Suoh's head in the memory. **She's beautiful**. That's all he thought as that incredible girl had taken down dozens of urgals herself and remained unscathed. Silko blushed as Kai reached to wrap her bandages around his waist and her face grew near his, though her eyes remained downcast to his wound.

Eragon was overwhelmed with Suoh's sadness as the scene blurred and was returned to later that night. He would soon find out why.

Suoh had taken off as Kai stood looking to the trees and she and Silko mad their way to a small patch of trees. Then Eragon watched as arrows emerged from the forest and berated down on their patch, the memory faded through Suoh's eyes as the dragon fell from the sky and his vision blurred with the pain.

Eragon quickly pulled out as even in the memory, the dragon's pain filled him.

Kai watched as Eragon quickly took a few steps away from Suoh and shook his head like a bug was in his hair.

Nasuada cleared her throat and waited in feigned patience.

"She's not even his rider." Eragon said shocked himself.

"What!" Nasuada asked standing.

Kai felt she should answer as she didn't want Suoh to think more on it.

"Suoh's Rider passed. I was there with him when it happened. And after I was satisfied with Suoh's health I left. But he followed and now we are here." She said vaguely. Kai wasn't the best when it came to explanations, but she could get her points across.

"What was wrong with his health?" Nasuada asked hiding her curiosity.

Eragon took the liberty to answer.

"When either Dragon or Rider dies……….. Half of the livings mind dies with them." Nasuada gasped with shock and Kai looked to Suoh with sudden apologies, she had known something was wrong with him that night, but never did something as horrible as that cross her mind.

"What of his egg? Where did it come from?" Arya asked. It confused her that an egg would have slipped from the elves or the empire.

"I didn't recognize the land, but his Rider found the egg in a creek. Suoh grew in their foreign country and when he was about Saphira's size they flew into Alagaesia." Eragon answered feeling odd to have to answer for another dragon, he usually only had to do it for Saphira.

"What of you?" Nasuada asked Kai suspiciously. "Where did you come from, how did you come about Alagaesia? Were you born here?" She sounded more then suspicious. It was like since she wasn't a Rider it was harder to come to trust her.

"I….don't know." Kai answered with some difficulty, it was getting hard to keep her facial expressions neutral. "I have no family to speak of. I have no life to speak of. I doubt I was meant to exist." She told them truthfully.

"What of your magic?" Eragon asked quietly, he didn't really want to admit he had been watching her. "How did you heal Suoh when you spoke no words? You merely placed your hand over the wounds." He looked as confused as she felt. Kai couldn't explain, she didn't have the slightest clue herself.

Kai shrugged, and Eragon fought to control his surprised yet deadpan expression, it would have been rude.

"I don't know the ancient language." She supplied facing Eragon as he listened. "I will his wounds to heal, and they do." She shrugged again.

Did she even use the same kind of magic Eragon himself used? Did she come from a country far away? Like the elves? Was she from a country near the elves homeland?

"I have one last question." Nasuada announced. "Can I trust you?" her simple word meant so much, like a contract, her words embedded into Kai and Suoh cringed through the link he formed to connect to Kai. Her answer would restrict her, all her life she was free. Free to do as she pleased. But that question. That short question would bind her to the Varden, she would be their tool, for them to use. Could she give up that small piece of free will?

Kai glanced at Suoh; she knew he could hear her thoughts.

**You make your own decisions**. His words did nothing compared to the emotion felt behind them, she didn't want to leave him, and he was the only one to come to be her friend, the closest anyone had ever gotten to her. He was in her head, in a quite literal meaning.

"Yes." Kai said softly lowering her gaze to the thick plush carpets. With her eyes down cast she didn't see the shocked expressions as she bent her knees and lowered in a bow to Nasuada. She had sealed herself to a cause, and she would fulfill it. She would stay to the end. For Suoh.

_Review please. Happy Holidays!_

-BS


	9. One of Many

People usually left her alone. Usually.

---

That afternoon Kai watched as the mourning dwarves carried away the massive form of their king. The air was humid and thick as she bowed respectively from her far off perch. Kai preferred to stay away from the majority of the people. And even so, some still found her weather on purpose or not.

"Their leaving." Kai said to her present company. Eragon looked up from where he was sitting to watch the young woman gaze out across the fields.

"Who?" he asked standing and joining her at the top most point of the hill. He gazed in wonderment as he could see out and across where the battle occurred. He never knew about the great view the hill provided.

"The Empire's soldiers." She said pointing across from the Varden's mass of tents. He followed her pointing arm and watched the sluggish band along with her.

So she was right. The pitiful band of soldiers were marching out with their wounded at a slow pace in the direction of Uru'baen. They had won.

"Perhaps, its good news." Eragon said a little unsure and trying to look on the bright side. Surely, they had won.

"I doubt it." Kai told him bluntly watching as they marched out. Eragon didn't know, but she had already started her duties to the Varden, Nasuada had her creep into their camp last night and removed the few magic wielders left. In addition Kai stayed all night watching them and when they sent out a small party to carry news to Uru'baen…. She stopped their process. Early that morning they had found the passed party and were -as a group- now moving out back hoping to bring the news. She had forced them to retreat.

"Leaving means they give up…."Eragon said still gazing out at the small band moving across the barren land. " We've won." He stated.

"This time." Kai told him silently slipping from beside him and sauntering down the rocky hill. "This is only the beginning… there's more to see." Kai said already halfway down the rocky incline. Eragon quickly turned after hearing her so far away; he could have sworn she was right next to him. Quickly following suit, Eragon slid down the side and caught up with Kai as she walked into the camp towards the larger tents. He guessed to Nasuada's to tell of the news. He had to speak to the Varden leader as well; he had promised his cousin something and wasn't planning to put it off. At least they wouldn't need him for a while.

**The Rider shows much interest in you**. Suoh commented to Kai as she waited to be called into Nasuada's tent. **I always see him around you**.

Kai sent an annoyed wave of emotion at Suoh through the small connection he had formed between them and walked into the tent with Eragon.

Nasuada was busy but still greeted the two and told them to proceed.

"The Empire's soldiers have backed down and are marching out as we speak." Kai said formally. Satisfaction crossed the leaders face as she stopped what she was doing and turned to look at Kai.

"We can leave now and go back to that castle." She seemed relieved as she spoke. "Eragon? What did you have to say?" she said going back to her bustle but with better things to do with Kai's news.

"I made a promise, before any of this started." His voice was a little low like he wasn't sure he should be saying as much as he was. "None of this would have happened if I hadn't had made that promise. But now I have to fulfill it, Rowan and I are leaving." He finally said looking to Nasuada for her reaction.

The Varden leader was quiet for a moment looking from Kai to Eragon.

"You both can leave, I'll contact you if you're needed or there's trouble." She sounded so formal as she spoke her few words. She swept out of the tent and smiled to her guards as she planned to share the good news with her people.

"You're leaving too?" Eragon asked surprised turning to Kai after Nasuada left, his full attention was on the mystery with him.

"All I have to offer is fighting experience; I don't plan to sit around the Varden unless I'm needed." She said sweeping the room with her eyes and lingering on an unfinished lace but then finding Eragon's eyes. "And Suoh wishes to see more of this land." She added nodding to Eragon and making her way to the tents flap.

Eragon hurried out after her and stood stunned as she was face to face with him.

"It was nice to meet you, Argetlam." Her face wasn't passive like he normally saw it and her eyes weren't distant as she starred at him, he had her attention and all he could do was stare wide eyed. He sputtered a few noises but nothing comprehendible. The pressure she could create by just looking at him.

Kai smiled at the stunned boy and leaned up and kissed his cheek. She smiled further as his cheek grew in temperature. He was blushing.

"Until we meet again." She said vaguely and walked off. A little ways away in the rows of dirty tents the great white dragon emerged with a gleaming white sword limply hanging from his jaws.

Kai approached the intimidating beast and removed the sword and rested a hand on his massive snout as an affectionate touch. Eragon could here the content hum of the best even at the distance and unknown to him a grin graced his elfish face as he laid a hand over his cheek. She had kissed him. Kai kissed _him_. Him!

"Bye." He finally managed as the two strangers walked out of the packing camp and disappeared.

_That's it. That's the end. _

_Review please._

-BS


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